Sasuke had been in the middle of breakfast when he'd gotten the urgent summons to appear before the Hokage. His mother had picked up his dishes as he had abruptly left the table and slipped on his shoes. When he arrived at the Hokage Tower, Sasuke spotted Kakashi slipping in through an open window. If Kakashi was called and he actually bothered to show up on time, then this had to be serious. Slipping in after Kakashi, Sasuke kept the surprise from showing when he spotted Sakura and Naruko already standing in front of the Yondaime. Sasuke took his place next to Kakashi and waited for the Yondaime to begin.
"We have just received intelligence that the Kazekage's youngest son has just been taken by members of the Akatsuki organization," the Yondaime said with a stern voice. It had come out as a soft whisper, but Sasuke had heard the, "Gaara" that Naruko had uttered with an intense amount of emotion behind it. Sasuke had wanted to turn to her in question but refrained. How was she so familiar with the Kazekage's son to call him by name?
"We have more knowledge on the Akatsuki and its members so Sunagakure has requested our assistance in dealing with this threat. Your mission will be to head to Sunagakure immediately and provide back up. Additionally, you are to report back on the situation there," Minato said and offered a scroll to Kakashi.
Sasuke hadn't heard of the Akatsuki before and judging by the expression on Sakura's face, neither had she. But Naruko looked grave and… furious. Her fists were clenched by her sides and she was glaring at the floors as if she meant to set them ablaze. When Sasuke looked back at Kakashi, even he looked quite serious.
"Naruko, stay behind for a few minutes. The rest of you are dismissed," the Yondaime said and locked eyes with his daughter. She stiffened under her father's intense stare and remained in place while the others started to leave. Sasuke spared the two another glance before following Kakashi out.
Once the door had closed behind them, Kakashi said, "Pack for enough for a weeklong trip. I doubt we'll get much time to rest, however. We'll leave from the main gate in thirty minutes."
~:~
From the moment they had left the village, Naruko had been tense and far too quiet. On more than one occasion, Sakura had to remind her not to break formation when she suddenly started to pick up speed. Impatience was one of Naruko's defining traits, but her rush was more than that. It was almost desperate. Sasuke frowned.
"Naruko," Sakura chastised again.
Naruko stopped on a branch farther ahead with a frown. "Kakashi-nii, can't we go any faster?" she asked with an impatient groan.
"What's your rush? I get it that the Kazekage's family is important-" Sakura started to argue but Naruko was quick to cut her off.
"It's not just that. It's Gaara," Naruko stressed as if that explained everything. She frowned and clenched her fists. She started jumping from branch to branch again, but kept speaking, "He's my friend. After I left the village with Ero Sennin, we went to Suna because he was supposed to help them with some seal stuff. That's when I met Gaara. He was so angry and lonely. I made a promise to him that he could always count on me as his friend and I don't ever want to go back on my word."
Sasuke almost didn't recognize her. He could remember the little girl who shouted about becoming the Hokage and declared her nindo at the top of her lungs. Back then, it had always sounded like a promise of a child. But the conviction in her voice and the fire in her eyes was much deeper now. It hit Sasuke just how much she had grown these past three years. She wasn't a little kid anymore. In a way, Sasuke could see small glimpses of the woman she would one day become.
After her rousing speech, they picked up their pace with a new sense of urgency.
~:~
Sasuke had kept an eye on Naruko all day and something was nagging at him. It wasn't just Naruko. Kakashi had been acting off as well. Sasuke hadn't expected Sakura to pick up on it, but Sasuke was more than familiar with Kakashi's mannerisms. He knew how to pick up on his former sensei's tells and right now Kakashi was worried and stressed. He hid it decently enough, but he slipped up whenever he looked at Naruko. They knew something that they weren't sharing.
Later that night, Sasuke stared at Naruko from across the fire. She was the last scheduled to keep watch, but she hadn't moved to go to sleep. Sasuke frowned. "Go to sleep, Usuratonkachi."
"I'm fine," she stubbornly insisted and continued to frown at the fire.
Sasuke barely resisted the urge to roll his eyes. "You'll be no help when we get there if you're tired," he tried again. When she didn't respond to him, Sasuke sighed softly. Sparing Kakashi and Sakura's unmoving forms a quick glance, Sasuke got up and moved to sit beside her. She barely acknowledged him. "What the hell is wrong with you?" he asked, keeping his voice low. Arguably not the nicest way to show his concern, but at least he was trying.
"It's nothing, 'ttebayo."
Sasuke gave her a dubious look. "You want to save your friend, but there's more to it than that," Sasuke pointed out.
It took a few minutes, but she eventually did start talking. "You're right. Gaara is more than just the Kazekage's son," she said and gripped the fabric of her pants tightly. "Gaara is the jinchuuriki of the ichibi."
Sasuke frowned in confusion. He'd never heard of a jinchuuriki before. He watched her tuck her knees under her chin as she continued to speak in a soft voice, "Jinchuuriki are human containers for the tailed beast sealed inside them. Jinchuuriki are supposed to be used as weapons during times of war."
Her eyes took on a hard edge as she glared down at the fire. "The Akatsuki are the ones who took Gaara. They don't even care about him. They just took him for the tailed beast inside of him. They're going to take it out of him and that can't happen. If you remove the tailed beast, then the jinchuuriki will die," she stressed with an imploring look.
Sparing a glance across the fire, Sasuke could see that Kakashi was staring at Naruko with a carefully blank look in his eye. Even Sakura had sat up from her bedroll and was giving Naruko her undivided attention.
Sasuke had never heard any of this before. "How do you know all this?" he asked. Was this what the Yondaime had kept her behind for? Had he relayed the full scope of Gaara's situation to her?
"Because I'm a jinchuuriki, too," she admitted. His eyes widened slightly. "I have only half of the kyuubi's chakra, but it still counts."
"Ne, Naruko… Then those people, the Akatsuki…" Sakura trailed off with a worried voice.
"Ah. They'll come for me too one day, 'ttebayo."
Sasuke felt his heart clench. "How long have you known?" Sasuke asked, not sure what he wanted to hear her say.
"I've known for years. I've been a jinchuuriki since the day I was born," she said and seemed to shrink in on herself. Sakura's eyes had widened, but she didn't speak. Sasuke stared at the fire dancing in front of him as he tried to collect his thoughts.
"When I was first learning how to use the kyuubi chakra, some people were giving Tou-chan a hard time. They didn't want me practicing inside the village just in case I lost control or the seal broke. So, he let me leave the village with Ero Sennin," Naruko explained.
"They made you go away?" Sasuke said, his voice unnaturally cold.
"There was some residual fear from the kyuubi getting loose sixteen years ago, particularly amongst the civilian population. The village elders were adamant, especially because we lost the Sandaime during the destruction," Kakashi explained in a blank tone. "Minato-sensei was only willing to let her leave because she would be safe enough with Jiraiya-sama."
Sasuke felt irritation and anger bubble up and rush through him. She could have been in the village with them the whole time. The village was her home, but they'd still turned their backs on her because they feared the kyuubi. 'Idiots.'
"Naruko, why didn't you tell us before?" Sakura asked.
"The identity of the jinchuuriki is kept an S-rank secret. If the information were to get out, it would put them and the village at risk," Kakashi explained.
Naruko frowned at Sakura apologetically. "Tou-chan is letting me decide who I tell, though. I'm sorry I didn't say anything before. I didn't want you to see me differently or hate me for it."
Sasuke frowned. Hate her? If what she said was true, it's not like she made the decision to become a jinchuuriki. Besides, what did being a jinchuuriki really change about her? Did it have to change anything? "Hn," Sasuke scoffed.
When she turned to look at him, she looked so vulnerable. Like the next words out of his mouth could break her. She tried to hide it, but her eyes had always been an open book to him.
He'd never been good with words. Some emotions were easy to express, like anger or disgust. But some emotions, like the ones welling up in his chest at her wide, blue gaze, were harder for him to put into words. Before he could stick his foot in his mouth, he acted. His hand shot out, his fingers poking at the middle of her forehead and leaving a bright red mark behind. She protested loudly and rubbed at her head.
The words felt easier to get out now. So, before she could yell at him for the abuse to her forehead, he said, "Dobe. You were a loser when I met you and you're still a loser now."
Like he said, he was trying.
Surprisingly, she wasn't yelling at him. If anything, she seemed pleased by his words. With a hand still rubbing her forehead, she smiled brightly at up him. He felt his heart pound- once, twice- in his chest before settling into a slightly elevated rhythm. Thankfully hidden away by his bangs, Sasuke could feel his ears start to warm. "Teme," she said, sounding almost fond.
"Mah, mah. I think we should get some rest while we can. We're setting out again at dawn," Kakashi said and settled in against the tree behind him. Sakura shot Sasuke a knowing look from across the fire while adjusting her covers. Sasuke glared at her, but she ignored it and settled back down for bed. Sasuke resisted the urge to roll her eyes. Naruko pulled out her bedroll and was settling in, more at peace than he'd seen her in hours.
Sasuke wasn't sure what he'd been expecting when he'd pestered Naruko to talk about her problems. But this was far worse than anything he could have imagined. She gave him another small smile before closing her eyes and trying to sleep. There were people hunting her. People who would one day try to take her away and kill her. Sasuke frowned deeply. 'Over my dead body.'
~:~
If Sasuke were superstitious, he would have taken their smooth journey as a sign of good fortune for the rest of the mission. They had even managed to arrive a day early thanks to Naruko setting a slightly brutal pace. When they had arrived, Sasuke had been surprised to see the village still intact. He had assumed that an organization that hunted jinchuuriki would leave behind devastation in their wake, but the village seemed untouched and peaceful.
Inside the Kage Tower was a mad house, however. There were shinobi moving about quickly, busy with handling the fallout of the attack behind closed doors. A tall man with half his face hidden by a turban stood with a shorter girl with four, blonde pigtails. As soon as she spotted them, Naruko dashed ahead and shouted, "Temari!"
"Naruko, you're early," the girl said in surprise.
"We couldn't waste time! Not with Gaara…" Naruko trailed off.
Temari frowned deeply. "We have a tracking team out looking for him now, but we haven't heard back yet. I'd be out there myself, but with Kankuro down and my father gone," Temari hinted.
"The Kazekage?" Kakashi asked in surprise.
"It is not public knowledge. Early this morning, Kazekage-sama succumbed to his injuries from his fight with those Akatsuki members," the tall man said.
Damn. They were too late. Sasuke's eyes slid over to Sakura to see her frowning deeply. Her posture was stiff and tense. Sasuke could see an emotion swirling around in her eyes, but before he could decipher it, she stood at attention and leveled a look at Temari. "You said that someone was injured. Are they the only one?" she asked.
"My brother was poisoned when he left to follow the one who had taken Gaara. We've tried everything to cure him, but we haven't had much luck," Temari answered.
Sakura nodded. "I'm a medic. Show him to me. I'll get started right away."
Sasuke had seen Sakura go into full medic mode a few times in the past. He was always a little impressed by the sight. She was completely in the zone, going through the motions and handling a million things at once. He'd seen her wrangle an entire operating room with just a few words. Despite being the youngest in the room, she could have an entire team looking to her for guidance. Sasuke stood with Kakashi and Naruko outside the hospital room, just watching as Sakura took control and organized the Suna-nin as if she had been doing it all her life.
"Sakura-chan is pretty awesome," Naruko marveled softly.
Sasuke looked down at Naruko from the side of his eyes. "She's trained hard these past few years," he acknowledged.
~:~
There was nothing they could do until Kakashi's summons picked up Sasori's trail. Sasori of the Red Sand. Sasuke was vaguely familiar with his reputation. Skimming through his bingo book, Sasuke located the man's entry. Sasuke wasn't sure what to make of the two pictures accompanying Sasori's entry. Sasori was an S-rank missing-nin known for using puppets and unique poisons. Sasuke frowned. He'd managed to take down the Kazekage on his own while his partner had fought Gaara alone. Were all the Akatsuki members as powerful? They'd have to be if they were kidnapping and killing jinchuuriki.
"Oi! Sasuke!"
Sasuke looked over to see Naruko standing in the doorway to the room he would be sharing with Kakashi. "There you are. I was looking for you, 'ttebayo," she said and stepped in.
"Did the ninken find something?"
She frowned. "Not yet," Naruko said and came over to him. Without his permission, she flopped down onto his bed with a loud exhale. Sasuke scooted over to make room for her. "Sakura-chan is busy working on an antidote for Kankuro and Kakashi-nii is sending a report back to Konoha. What are you doing?" she said and stared up at the ceiling. He showed her Sasori's bingo book entry.
He watched her expression carefully. The more she read, the deeper her frown became. He could see the anger simmering in her eyes as she stared at the page. "This is one of the guys who has Gaara."
"He's one of them that's after you," Sasuke pointed out.
"I'll get him back. I'll beat this Sasori bastard and get Gaara back," she promised and put the book away.
Sasuke stared down at her for a few seconds before settling back against the wall. "He's important to you," Sasuke said with a neutral tone. Sasuke had never met this Gaara person and he couldn't help but wonder what he was like. What kind of person could be so important to her?
"I told you that he's like me. He's a jinchuuriki, too. But it's more than that. He's like me, but he isn't," she said and sat up to sit next to him. "They treated him like a monster here. It made me feel…sad for him. We both had a monster inside us, but he got the short stick. I could have had his life."
"The Yondaime wouldn't have let that happen."
"When I first met him, he didn't have anybody. He didn't have a mother and his father was a real bastard. Gaara wasn't even close to his siblings," Naruko said and clenched her hands. "I've always had people who cared. I couldn't imagine what it'd be like to not have anyone. That's when I decided that I would be there for him. Always. I don't want him to ever feel lonely again."
Sasuke didn't care to imagine what his life would have been like if he'd had to grow up alone. He didn't have many bonds, but he did cherish the ones that he did have.
Sasuke looked down at Naruko and sighed. She was such a bleeding heart. She had an innate ability to connect with people in a way he'd never understand. Even when they were young, she had a knack for drawing others into her orbit. She had always made herself the center of attention, like a bright light for everyone around to draw warmth from- miniaturized sunshine. And he'd been drawn in like a moth to a flame.
He could still remember how it felt to have her attention on him. He was by no means starved for attention as a child, but there had been times when he'd wished to have more of his father's or brother's time. He always had his mother, but he'd still wanted just a little more.
He'd gotten attention and praise from adults, but those had always felt like backhanded compliments. Whenever his accomplishments had been praised, it had always been followed up by a comparison to Itachi. "Keep doing well, Sasuke. Just like Itachi." The other children in his class had either envied him or admired him, but even then, the admiration had felt hollow. If he had been born hideous and into a civilian family, he doubted that he would have had any fangirls.
But then Naruko had blown into his life and practically burned him with her intensity. She had stared at him, up close and personal on more than one occasion. Whenever he spoke, he could always count on her to give him a reaction. In a way, it had felt like she couldn't ignore him just as he couldn't ignore her. She'd never bother to show anyone else that kind of undivided attention. Of course, she'd been yelling and insulting him, but still. He hadn't been too kind to her either.
"What are you thinking so hard about?"
"How much of a sentimental fool you are," he said and pulled a knee to his chest.
"Teme," she fired back without any heat. He felt her head come down to rest on his shoulder, but he didn't feel the urge to shrug her off. His muscles relaxed on their own, his eyes sliding shut of their own accord. Soon, they would have to head out and face dangerous shinobi, but for now he'd relax.
~:~
Early the next morning, Pakuun had leapt in through the open window with a loud bark. Sasuke had immediately snapped to attention in time to see Kakashi pulling a map from his pack and laying it out for Pakuun. Sasuke moved in closer to observe the small pug pace around the map and grumble lowly. "The trail ended… about here. Behind a gate and boulder next to a river," Pakuun said and rested his paw on the map.
"Thanks, Pakuun," Kakashi said and offered the small pug a treat from his pack. Pakuun noisily ate the treat before giving Sasuke a salute with his paw and disappearing in a puff of smoke. "Wake the girls. We'll leave immediately," Kakashi ordered and grabbed his clothes to change.
Sakura had answered the door, only mildly embarrassed to be seen with bedhead and still in her pajamas. But she had sobered up quickly when he had relayed Kakashi's message, quickly dashing back into the room and throwing a pillow at Naruko's snoring form. "Naruko! Get up!" Sakura shouted at the blonde. Sasuke left them alone to get ready, returning to his room to prepare.
In the time it had taken for Sasuke to get ready, Kakashi had already informed the Suna-nin of the situation. Sasuke had been expecting a team of Suna-nin to join them in the search for Gaara but was disappointed to see that only one elderly lady would be joining them. Sasuke could understand the need to defend the village at the time when its most vulnerable, but really? He must have shown his skepticism on his face because the old woman was quick to give him a side-eyed glare. "In all my years, I've never met a humble Uchiha. You shouldn't underestimate others nor overestimate yourself," she chided.
Sasuke's gaze narrowed. "There's no need for humility when you're sure of your own skill. Frankly, I couldn't care less for others' opinions of me," Sasuke said while looking down on the old woman. He could feel Kakashi's exasperation but chose not to acknowledge it. Both Kakashi and Itachi had tried to drill some humility into him, but Sasuke hadn't bothered with those lessons. He was an Uchiha and he'd been raised as such. Sasuke would always remember one of the few lessons his father had passed on to him.
"You cannot hold your head high if you roll over on your back."
"Sasuke-kun, you should be more respectful to your elders," Sakura chided with a displeased frown. Sasuke chose to ignore her lest they start an argument. She was always nagging him about respecting his elders ever since she'd heard about how he'd first addressed Tsunade. He didn't see the issue. In the end, Tsunade hadn't minded that he'd spoken his mind.
"Yare yare," Kakashi sighed. "Let's just head out."
Kakashi took point while Sasuke and Sakura took the rear. Sasuke wasn't oblivious to the possibility that they could be heading right into a trap. At most, two members of the Akatsuki had attacked Sunagakure. But it was a very real possibility that they had taken Gaara to a nearby safehouse that housed far more members. Their goal was to retrieve Gaara (if he was even still alive), but Sasuke was hesitant to get into a confrontation with an entire base worth of S-rank ninja.
Although, Sasuke was sure that that wouldn't stop Naruko. His gaze slid onto her back, his eyes catching on her blonde pigtails that trailed behind her. If it came to the point where they had to retreat before they retrieved Gaara, he was sure that she'd rather die. Sasuke frowned. If he had to knock her out and drag her away…
Feeling eyes on him, Sasuke looked over at Sakura. She had worry in her green eyes. Her gaze quickly shifted to Naruko before returning to him. Sasuke nodded once. He understood that Sakura was worried for Naruko's safety. Subtly, Sasuke weaved the hand sign for "protect" at her. Sakura's gaze hardened and she returned the sign with a nod. They would try to complete the mission, but they had to keep their priorities in order.
"Those that break the rules are scum. But those that abandon their friends are worse than scum."
Eventually, Kakashi raised his hand to signal for them to slow their approach. They jumped down from the trees with silent steps and moved into the shade of the trees around them. When Sasuke looked down over the edge of the cliff, he recognized the gate and river that Pakuun had mentioned. The boulder was there but was raised to reveal an opening in the side of the opposite cliff.
"Let's go, 'ttebayo," Naruko stressed and started to move.
"Naruko," Kakashi admonished in his Sensei Voice. Even after years away, Naruko still froze in place at the tone. "We can't rule out the possibility that this may be a trap."
"Or they could have left. We have to at least check if Gaara's in there," Naruko said and weaved the hand signs for shadow clones. She summoned three clones that immediately dashed away.
Sharingan active, Sasuke watched as two clones remained hidden outside and one clone stormed into the cave with a loud cry. If he strained his ears, Sasuke could almost make out the ranting and raving of the Naruto clone inside the cave. One of the clones outside the cave popped and Naruko stilled. "Gaara's in there. There's only two of them, that Sasori guy and a blonde guy," Naruko said and tensed. The other clone popped. "…Gaara's not moving. He's laying there and he's not moving," Naruko growled and glared down at the cave.
Sasuke could feel her chakra swirling around her, making her jacket float on some imaginary breeze. The chakra he felt coming from her was different than normal- heavier and darker. Catching Kakashi's eye, Sasuke moved closer to her and rested a hand on her shoulder. When she looked at him, he did his best to keep his surprise hidden. The whisker marks on her cheeks had darkened, becoming more pronounced. He could see hints of fangs she was sporting behind a deep snarl. Her bright blue eyes were now a less vibrant violet. Before he could say anything to calm her, he heard an explosion come from the cave.
"They're moving!" she shouted and shook off his hold.
"Naruko!" Kakashi shouted after her before jumping. As they were approaching the cave entrance, a large white bird flew out with a one-armed man standing on its back.
"Gaara!"
"I'll leave the rest to you Sasori, my man!" the man atop the bird said with a laugh. Sasuke turned back towards the cave to see Sasori of the Red Sand crouched in the cave.
"Get back here! Give Gaara back!"
Within seconds, their entire mission had dissolved. Sasuke watched Naruko run down the the river after the white bird without a backwards glance. Sasuke tried to call her back, but he knew it was a lost cause. Without a second thought, Sasuke followed after her. Kakashi would definitely lecture him for acting impetuously, but he'd cross that bridge when he came to it. He wasn't about to let her go off on her own.
"I only wanted the jinchuuriki, but I have no problem taking out a few tagalongs, un," the blonde man shouted and shoved his hand into a pouch at his side. When he pulled it out, he held a clump of a white substance that he squished into a white bird. As he tossed it over his shoulder, he shouted, "Katsu!" and weaved a single, hand sign.
Sasuke wasn't sure if the explosion was really meant to kill them. It had been too easy to slip past the blast with a burst of chakra to his feet. Was he just toying with them?
Sasuke sensed Kakashi's presence before he saw him. Once he had caught up, Sasuke could see that Kakashi had already raised his headband to expose his sharingan. "Sakura?" Sasuke asked.
"She and Chiyo-san are handling Sasori," Kakashi answered and stared up at the bird flying above them. "What do you see?" Kakashi asked.
Staring up at the bird, Sasuke tried to determine what kind of jutsu he was using. "His headband is from Iwagakure. Some kind of earth style jutsu?" Sasuke theorized. This time, a shower of small, white spiders rained down on them. With a narrowed gaze, Sasuke gathered lightning in his palm. 'Chidori Senbon.'
When the creatures didn't explode, Sasuke shot Kakashi a look. An earth style jutsu that they could easily counter with their lightning. "Can you stall him and keep an eye on Naruko? I need a minute to prepare my jutsu," Kakashi asked and stared up at the bird.
For months now, Kakashi had been training with Shisui to gain a better mastery of his sharingan. Sasuke was a bit vague on the specifics, but he knew that Kakashi had been trying to master a new sharingan. When he'd asked, Shisui had told him that he was better off not knowing. To have that eye was more of a curse than a blessing, according to him.
"You're pretty weird for a jinchuuriki, un! We've already killed two jinchuuriki before, but no one came chasing after them. Most people were glad to have them gone," the man shouted down at them.
"You bastard!" Naruko shouted up at him before quickly gaining a burst of speed. Sasuke could have cursed. Quickly going through the hand signs, Sasuke breathed a fire ball directly in the bird's path. As expected, the man slowed in order to avoid the hit.
"Where are you aiming, un? You should get your eyes checked!"
Capitalizing on the man's distracted state, Sasuke sped up to close in on Naruko. Before he could say anything to hopefully calm her down, the man started shouting again.
"Is this the best you Konoha-nin have to offer? I think I'd feel insulted if I had to have this sorry excuse for a rescue party, un!" the man yelled and tossed down some more explosives. Before Naruko could dash ahead again, Sasuke grabbed her from behind and shushined farther ahead to avoid the blast.
"Sasuke!" Kakashi called out at last. As soon as his feet touched down onto one of the logs spanning the width of the gap, Sasuke started flying through hand signs. 'Katon: Ryuuen Houka no jutsu!'
Several dragon-headed fireballs shot out from his mouth and surrounded the front, left and right sides of the bird. The man suddenly came to a stop mid-air with a shout of outrage. Trapped on most sides, he made an easy target for Kakashi. Sasuke watched as Kakashi's chakra peaked and his sharingan changed. The three tomoe pattern shifted and morphed into a red and black pinwheel shape. Looking to the man flying above, Sasuke felt his eyes widen. He watched as a vortex formed in the man's chest, distorting his form. The man was crying out in confusion but was unable to escape the pull of the vortex.
Sasuke almost cursed in awe. The man's torso had disappeared now, sucked through the vortex. A jutsu like this was a curse? Sasuke was ready to call bullshit, but the sound of Kakashi's pained grunt snapped him out of his daze. Just as Kakashi lapsed and slipped from his log, Sasuke shot out after him. With his arms soundly around Kakashi's mid-section, Sasuke jumped back up to the top of the cliff. Kakashi was panting harshly, his hand cradling his sharingan. Sasuke looked up again, just long enough to see the bird falling out of the sky with a pair of legs leaking blood and entrails down its side.
"Gaara!" Naruko was shouting. She spared Sasuke and Kakashi a glance before taking off after the bird.
"Can you walk?" Sasuke asked. Kakashi didn't speak and tried to stand instead. It took a few seconds for him to get onto his feet, but his legs were even faster to give out beneath him. "Hn," Sasuke grunted and pulled Kakashi's arm over his shoulder. Wrapping an arm around Kakashi's waist, Sasuke started leaping in the direction that the bird had gone down.
They hadn't gotten that close, but Sasuke could already hear Naruko's anguished cries. He approached slowly, feeling an sense of regret settle into him with each step. When he finally saw her through the trees, she was kneeling on the ground with a red-haired boy clutched in her arms. She was crying out for the boy to please wake up and soaking through his shirt with her messy tears. Kakashi hung his head with a soft sigh. Sasuke slowly lowered Kakashi to the ground before walking over to her. She was shaking and sniffling loudly, hiccupping too much to plead with the boy anymore. Sasuke rested a hand to her shoulder, not sure what to say to comfort her. Even if he had known what he could say, the teary gaze she gave him made all sound die in his throat.
"I failed," she told him in a small voice.
Sasuke kneeled at her side. "No. We all did," he corrected. The least he could do was help her carry her burden.
He didn't know this boy. He'd never even seen his face before, but Sasuke felt an overwhelming sadness deep within his chest. Every one of her sniffles seemed to stab at his heart, leaving an achy, hollow feeling behind. He shouldn't feel this deeply for a boy he didn't know.
"I promised," she said, her voice breaking on the word.
"I know," he replied and pulled her towards him with an arm around her shoulder. She rested Gaara's body at her knees, staring down at him with the most defeated look he'd ever seen from her. None of them spoke, deciding to have a moment of silence for the boy.
"My how you've grown, Kakashi-kun."
Sasuke tensed at the sound of a raspy voice surrounding them. He turned back towards Kakashi but couldn't see anyone near him. Kakashi, however, had frozen on the spot, his eyes going wide.
"Your eye has gained some new abilities, ku ku ku…"
Sasuke stood slowly, his fingers drawing a kunai. His eyes scanned the tree line, trying pinpoint exactly where the voice was coming from.
"Orochimaru," Kakashi said in a low voice, almost sounding like a growl. His entire body was tense where he crouched, both eyes vigilant. Sasuke heard a light laugh fade away softly, as if the person had decided to leave. But he could still feel it- an overwhelming presence. Whoever they were, they had a thick, oppressive chakra that felt wrong in every sense of the word. It felt tainted and poisoned, but no less strong and large. An eerie silence had set in, making Sasuke go tense.
"Kakashi-nii!"
Sasuke turned back to Kakashi just in time to see the man get struck from behind with a swift chop to the back of his head. With a pained grunt, Kakashi's eyes rolled back into his head and he collapsed to the ground. Sasuke gripped his kunai tighter as he eyed the newcomer. He had very pale skin, slitted golden eyes and straight waist-length black hair. Like Sasori and his now dead partner, this Orochimaru was wearing a black cloak with red clouds. The man smirked at him before turning over Kakashi's limp body with his foot.
"Leave him alone!" Naruko shouted and stood, a kunai drawn.
Sasuke felt the man's tainted chakra slide over him and he resisted the urge to cringe. Either Naruko was impervious to Orochimaru's chakra, or she was too upset to care. Orochimaru observed her for a few seconds and smirked. "The kyuubi jinchuuriki. Or should I say one of them?" Orochimaru said in that raspy hiss of his. Naruko tensed and sneered at the man.
"Capturing you was Sasori and Deidara's job, but it looks like they failed," Orochimaru said and glanced over at the fallen bird and the disembodied legs. "I have no business with you, girl. I've come for a more valuable prize."
When Orochimaru reached a hand towards Kakashi again, Sasuke threw his kunai at the man's face. With unnaturally smooth movements, Orochimaru dodged the attack and took a step back from Kakashi's body. "I thought all of the Uchiha looked down on their precious eyes being in the possession of anyone outside the clan," Orochimaru said and leveled a dark look at Sasuke. "I haven't come for you either, hatchling Uchiha. But if you wish to donate your eyes, I will not object."
The mildly oppressive chakra suddenly amplified, weighing down on him and causing his muscles to lock in place. Sasuke could feel a cold sweat gathering on the back of his neck, his stomach rolling in his gut and making him nauseous. He'd never felt Killing Intent this potent before. The pure, raw bloodlust had his head reeling. He barely held back the tremble that was threatening to overtake his limbs. Orochimaru grinned knowingly at him.
He had to escape. Could he make it to Kakashi's body in time? Would he have enough time to grab Naruko and Kakashi and escape? He doubted it. He didn't want to abandon Kakashi, but that wouldn't be an issue when he couldn't even get his body to move! Orochimaru's long tongue slipped out of his mouth and licked at his lips. In the back of his mind, Sasuke registered the disgust he felt beneath the pure, unadulterated terror.
"Teme," Naruko's voice called out to him just before he felt her hand clap his cheek. He felt her chakra flow through him, filling him and chasing away the chill that had taken hold. He gasped. "Genjutsu?" she asked in a concerned voice. His blinked down at her before he turned back to Orochimaru.
"Oi! Knock it off with your crappy mind tricks!" she shouted and pointed her kunai at Orochimaru. Orochimaru stared at her in slight confusion.
Sasuke almost hugged her. It hadn't been a genjutsu that had him so entranced, but her chakra had still pulled him out of it. He could feel Orochimaru's chakra roiling around him, but he focused on the bright beacon that was Naruko's chakra instead. Taking a deep breath, Sasuke gathered chakra behind his eyes and refocused on Orochimaru.
"You wish to challenge me? Come then," Orochimaru grinned and gestured his arms wide.
"We'll take you on and kick your ass!" Naruko proclaimed. "You and every one of you Akatsuki bastards!" she shouted and summoned some clones.
Since she'd been back in the village, they'd only sparred together. He hadn't yet gotten a chance to fight alongside her. Before she'd left, their teamwork had been pretty decent. They were able to communicate battle plans and strategies with only a few subtle hints. But even then, their fighting styles and approaches had been so vastly different. Opportunities for teamwork had been short and rarely requiring them to work so closely against a foe for too long. So Sasuke was slightly concerned about how her more direct and frenetic style would work with his more calculated and fluid one.
Turns out, he hadn't needed to be worried. With his sharingan giving him perfect clarity and foresight, it was easy for him to move between her many clones. It was almost as if every clone moved with him in mind, making space for him to strike and moving in the way to take a hit for him. But despite their seamless teamwork, Orochimaru was matching their moves with minimal effort. Sasuke glared and jumped back to gain some distance. As one, four Naruko clones latched onto Orochimaru's limbs and held him still. Gathering lightning in his palm, Sasuke rushed Orochimaru and shot his hand out at the man's chest.
Hand still sparking, Sasuke stared into Orochimaru's slitted eyes. The man's eyes were glazed over, and his body went limp in the clones' arms. Sasuke pulled his hand from Orochimaru's chest with a squelch and let the body fall to the ground. A part of Sasuke was surprised that it ended so quickly. The feel of the man's chakra had been so intense, Sasuke was sure that he'd have put up a decent fight. Sasuke felt almost disappointed and honestly a little embarrassed that he'd let someone so weak intimidate him.
"I'm impressed. You're quite skilled for a hatchling."
With wide eyes, Sasuke watched as Orochimaru's body lurched and his mouth opened wide. Sasuke stepped back warily, watching in disgust as a pair of pale hands reached out from Orochimaru's mouth. Then, like some kind of weird and backwards birthing scene, he watched Orochimaru crawl out of his own mouth. Sasuke could hear Naruko retching a little dramatically at his side.
Still covered in saliva and who knows what else, Orochimaru stood and faced them. He put his thumb in his mouth and bit down hard enough to draw blood before sliding his bloody thumb over a tattoo on his forearm. "Kuchiyose no jutsu!" Orochimaru called out and slammed his hand to the ground. Out of the cloud of smoke, the largest snake Sasuke had ever seen appeared and hissed at them. Its body coiled between the trees looking at least one meter in diameter. From the top of the head that towered above the trees, Orochimaru chuckled lightly.
Quick as a whip, the snake struck, its fangs gleaming and dripping with what could have been poison. By his quick estimates, Sasuke was sure that it was moving too fast for Naruko to fully pick up on. His body just moved, tackling her to the ground and out of the way. As soon as he'd rolled her far enough away, Sasuke was moving again. The sound of chirping birds filling the clearing almost drowned out Naruko's voice calling out his name. The snake was already rearing back for a second strike as he changed the shape of his Chidori. Timing it perfectly, he waited until the snake was within his maximum five meters before he used his lightning spear to slice off the snake's head. But before the snake had touched the ground, Orochimaru was attacking him with quick jabs and vicious strikes.
"You keep impressing me, Sasuke-kun. I had come for Kakashi's sharingan, but I can see a greater potential in yours," Orochimaru praised.
"You won't be leaving here with either. That's if you manage to leave at all," Sasuke threatened. From behind Orochimaru, Sasuke watched two Naruko launch a sneak attack.
"Rasengan!"
It didn't take a genius to figure out that there was something off about Orochimaru. The man's entire presence felt tainted, he was able to crawl out of his own body and shake off fatal injuries, and now he was dodging attacks like a literal snake. Sasuke blinked in shock just before he saw Orochimaru unhinge his jaw. Grabbing the back of Naruko's jacket, he pulled her out of range of Orochimaru's attack.
"He can puke up snakes with swords?" Naruko asked in a disgusted tone.
"Of course he can. Why wouldn't he?" Sasuke gripped sarcastically.
"He's too fast. I can't get a clean hit on him," Naruko said. Sasuke watched Orochimaru lick his lips again, the long tongue dripping a viscous fluid onto the grass. It soaked into the ground, dissolving the grass with a hiss of smoke. 'Poison. And Sakura's carrying all of our antidotes.'
Sasuke didn't want to turn his back on the snake for a second, but Naruko's words concerned him. She couldn't hit Orochimaru and Sasuke had a feeling that the man was toying with them. Sasuke eyed where Naruko had tucked away Kakashi and Gaara's bodies behind some bushes off to the side. Maybe they could make their way over to them and use her clones to escape?
"Ku ku ku. I have to admit, I've managed to enjoy myself. But I've grown bored of games," Orochimaru said and clapped his hands together.
"Shit." Sasuke couldn't hold back the curse this time at the feel of Orochimaru gathering chakra.
"Sasuke?"
Glancing down at her, Sasuke could see the resolution in her eyes. She nodded once at him, a grim smile on her face. She must have been thinking along the same lines as him. He nodded back at her. "Follow my lead and try to keep up, Usuratonkachi."
Once again, Orochimaru unhinged his jaw and released a black miasma. From the dark mist, numerous snake bodies formed, each unhinging their jaws to release a sword of their own. Within seconds, the snakes had formed a wide sea of writhing bodies, all slithering towards them. He'd have to clear a path through this first. Sasuke frowned and started gathering enough chakra. 'Katon: Gouenkyuu.'
Taking a deep breath, Sasuke let the chakra build enough to fire a meteor-sized sphere of fire at Orochimaru and his sea of snakes. Sasuke could feel the intense heat pouring off the massive attack, but he didn't hesitate to dash over to Kakashi's body. Naruko was right on his tail, hoisting Gaara over her shoulder. Sasuke could feel the ground shaking beneath his feet despite the giant ball of fire exploding a mile away. Once Kakashi was hoisted onto his back, Sasuke took to the trees.
It was a diversionary tactic at best. Sasuke wasn't going to kid himself into thinking that that had been enough to kill Orochimaru. But if they could put enough distance between them and Orochimaru, then maybe they could make it back to Sakura and Chiyo in time. Sasuke just hoped that the women were still in a condition to fight if it came to that.
That feeling of a cold chill running along the back of his neck was the first warning he got. Sasuke spared a glance behind him to see Orochimaru sliding in and out of view, moving his body along the tree branches like a snake. "Naruko!" he called out to her. When she spotted Orochimaru gaining on them, she cursed loudly. They wouldn't be able to outrun him…not together at least. "Naruko, take Kakashi and go!"
"What!?"
She stared at him like he was talking nonsense. "Take Kakashi and get to Sakura. I'll hold him off while you run," he explained.
"That's the stupidest plan you've ever come up with, Teme!"
He could strangle her. Her life was more important than his and yet she was going to argue with him about this. "Naruko!" he chided her, trying to get her to be reasonable for once. He was about to argue with her more, but he spotted Orochimaru lunging towards him in his peripheral vision. Channeling chakra to his legs, Sasuke avoided the lunge just in time. Orochimaru hadn't lunged with his body. He'd elongated his neck and unhinged his jaw, his teeth sharpening into fangs.
"Sasuke!" Naruko shouted at him as she leapt to his side. He let her take Kakashi from his back and almost breathed a sigh of relief. But then he noticed another Naruko rushing ahead with Gaara on her back while a third Naruko turned back to rush at Orochimaru.
She was going to be the death of him one day.
Making an about face, Sasuke rushed to catch up with her. If he could just grab her, he could knock her unconscious and run. Maybe he could summon a hawk to aid in their escape? Or he could try to put Orochimaru in a genjutsu? Anything was a better plan than whatever she was doing.
"Tajuu Kage Bushin no Jutsu!"
Sasuke watched a sea of orange blondes form before partnering up. One clone held out her hand while the other started shaping the chakra. On his next landing, Sasuke stopped in place, his eyes seeking out the real Naruko. He didn't have to search for long. The second the Naruko clones started bombarding Orochimaru with their Rasengans, one Naruko grabbed his hand and tugged him away. They couldn't outrun him. Would they be able to hide and wait out Orochimaru?
"Naruko, we need to hide. We won't outrun him," he told her. He pulled her to him before jumping down and slipping into the shadows. Quickly, he casted one of Itachi's best genjutsu over them. He held her him, trying his best to control his breathing and heart rate. She was kneeling between his legs, remaining completely still and barely breathing. Sasuke focused his hearing outward, peering around the tree trunk they were hiding behind. He couldn't hear anything, not a peep from the forest around them. He was sure that the woodland animals would have long since been scared away by their fight and the fire he'd started. At least it would be easier to hear Orochimaru coming.
"Sas-"
Before she could finish speaking, Sasuke covered her mouth with his hand. The genjutsu he'd casted should prevent anyone from detecting them by sight, sound, or smell. But he didn't want to risk it. He'd wait until he was sure that Orochimaru had moved on to another part of the forest. Hopefully, he wouldn't follow the trail the two clones had left behind. They'd averted one problem only to potentially create another one. When he felt Naruko suddenly tense and start to shift away from him, he shot her a warning look. The smaller the space he influenced, the easier it was to disguise.
He'd spotted the shiny glint of metal less than a second too late. His body made a sort of aborted movement as his eyes opened wide. Orochimaru was wrapped around a tree branch above them, his neck elongating down to put him at about eye level. That damned sword of his was jutting out of his mouth and right through her chest. Sasuke could see the end of the sword poised at his own heart, the edge leaking that viscous poison onto his clothes. Orochimaru chuckled lightly again, slowly withdrawing the sword from her body. As the sword left her with a squelch, she coughed once, a small spatter of blood hitting him in the face. His eyes burned the image of her falling over in a bloody heap into his brain.
He stared down at her still form, watching the grass beneath her and her orange jacket slowly stain red. He was frozen on the spot, watching her bleed out, his mind both frighteningly blank and yet full of static. When she coughed up a spot of blood, he finally managed to make his arms move. Gently, he rolled her over onto her back.
What was he supposed to do first? Was he supposed to put pressure on a wound when it was this deep? But he had to do something, or she'd bleed out! Maybe if he could keep pressure on it long enough, then Sakura could get here in time to heal her. He tried to keep constant pressure, but his hands were shaking. No, his entire body was shaking. His hands couldn't find purchase in between her breasts, they kept slipping in her blood.
"Sas…ke," she tried to say but he glared down at her.
"Shut up. Just don't move," he ordered. This wasn't working. The front of her jacket was almost completely red. What was he supposed to do? He didn't know any medical jutsu. He knew basic first aid, but he had no idea how to even begin treating something like this. Where the hell was Sakura!?
"Not...healing," she croaked at him before coughing up another splatter of blood.
"I said stop talking, Usuratonkachi!" Sasuke shouted. He just needed to think.
"Hm. The Uzumaki blood must be keeping her alive. My poison in a wound like that should have killed her by now," Orochimaru remarked idly, as if he were noting the weather.
Sasuke had wanted to shove his fist down Orochimaru's throat, but he couldn't take his hands off her chest. From where he was pressing, he could feel her heart's faint flutters. He was so focused on his hands- his red, red hands- that he hadn't noticed her eyes closing. "Usuratonkachi," he warned. When she didn't acknowledge him, Sasuke tried to jostle her slightly. She still wasn't opening her eyes. He could feel the light fluttering of her heart slowly peter out beneath his hands.
He waited his bated breath, still hoping her heart would beat again. Would it help if he tried to get it to start beating? But the blade had gone right through. He could hear a small voice knowingly say that there was probably too much damage. It was pointless.
It took a few seconds for him to get his body to move back. Sasuke stared, still waiting for something- anything!- to happen. She was so still and deathly pale. His pants, her jacket, and his hands were soaked in her blood. When he touched her cheek, she still felt warm. He lowered his head when he felt the sting of tears gathering in his eyes.
He did this. He was supposed to protect her and he'd failed. He'd failed her. He'd promised to protect her. He'd promised Sakura and Kakashi. He'd promised himself, but he'd still lost her.
"Pity. Leader-sama will be annoyed with me that she died," Orochimaru commented.
Sasuke felt his body tense. 'She died… She died?'
"She "died"? Not, "you killed her"?" Sasuke asked, his voice surprisingly level despite the lump in his throat. He'd never forget the sight of Orochimaru's sword impaling her. His eyes were burning now.
Orochimaru let out a humph but didn't offer anything else.
The burning behind his eyes was getting more intense. Taking a deep breath to calm the raging storm of emotions in his head, Sasuke let it everything except his anger go. Pushing himself to his feet, Sasuke faced Orochimaru again. "I'm going to kill you," he promised in a cold tone.
Orochimaru's smug grin was the last push he didn't know he needed. The burning in his eyes crescendoed as he felt the chakra gathering behind his eyes. The smug grin was fading, being replaced by a look of intrigue. Sasuke couldn't find it in him to care what Orochimaru was thinking. Gathering lightning chakra in his hand, dashed forward.
He saw Orochimaru's counterattack coming ages before he got close. With one hand still sparking wildly, Sasuke engaged Orochimaru in taijutsu. The older man's snakelike movements had been slightly challenging before. But now, Sasuke found his taijutsu changing to accommodate. He moved much more fluidly, utilizing newfound flexibility to dodge and land hits. When he spotted an opening, Sasuke didn't hesitate. His hand sliced through Orochimaru's chest, blood spurting and mixing with what was left on his hand of Naruko's. Moving quickly, Sasuke landing a harsh kick to the side of Orochimaru's neck. His attack had knocked Orochimaru sideways, sending him flying with a spray of blood and purple poison. Not underestimating Orochimaru's ability to regenerate, Sasuke kept up his assault.
Mid-air, Orochimaru slipped from his old body and turned back to face Sasuke. He grinned savagely before dropping his jaw and exhaling a thick cloud of purple gas. Sasuke froze in place, pouring more chakra into his eyes. If he could just see, he could avoid the attack. Sasuke flinched when he felt a shooting pain in his left eye and what felt like tears flowing down his face again. His hand came up to cover the eye, but he tried to keep his right eye trained on the fight.
Sasuke watched the purple gas suddenly catch fire, black flames mixing with the poison and halting it in its tracks. Sasuke wasn't sure what kind of attack Orochimaru was planning, but when he glanced at the man, Orochimaru had stopped in surprise. The flames weren't his then.
Sasuke pulled his hand away from his eye and watched the entire cloud of gas burn away. Sasuke refocused on Orochimaru, pooling his chakra behind his eyes again. 'Burn away,' Sasuke thought as he watched Orochimaru's chest catch on fire. The man's screams of pain were like music to his ears.
"What is this?" Orochimaru exclaimed in surprise.
These black flames were a curious thing. Sasuke watched Orochimaru try to put them out with a water jutsu, but they remained. Orochimaru even tried to abandon his black cloak, but Sasuke was quick to set his arms aflame again. The black fire was spreading in response to his will, surrounding Orochimaru in a circle as tall as he was. Predictably, Sasuke felt Orochimaru's gathering chakra to leave his body again. "Pathetic," Sasuke sneered.
Parting his flames without too much conscious effort, Sasuke stepped through and let his hand spark to life. Before Orochimaru could pull himself free of his burning corpse, Sasuke speared the man through his chest, pinning him to the ground beneath him. Sasuke let the chakra change shape into multiple spears that ripped at Orochimaru's chest while jutting outward.
"Sas…ke," Orochimaru hissed, his snakelike eyes narrowed in outrage.
"Amaterasu," Sasuke had decided to dub the black flames. He watched the flames burn away at Orochimaru's flesh, not taking his eyes away until he was sure that there was nothing left of the man to burn. Sasuke wasn't sure how long he stood there watching, but eventually he took a deep breath and turned his face up to the sky. His eyes were burning and throbbing in his skull and he could feel exhaustion starting to set in. He stared at the smokey sky for a few seconds before walking back over to Naruko's body.
For a few beats, he just stared down at her. A chill was settling into his very being, sapping what little energy he had left. He fell to his knees at her side, cutting off the chakra to his eyes. He didn't want to provide even more inspiration for the nightmares he was sure to have of this day. "I failed you. But I avenged you, Naruko," he said and rested a hand to her cheek.
He would have to carry her body back. He'd have to look Kakashi and Sakura in the eye and admit that he'd failed. But at least he'd gotten his revenge on her behalf. But it wasn't just Orochimaru. It was the Akatsuki that had threatened her. They would all die by his hands. Sasuke slipped his arms under her back and knees, tucking her body into his chest and starting the trek back.
He was feeling so many emotions at once, he wasn't sure how many. There was predominately anger- a righteous fury simmering away just under his skin. There was a coldness in his chest, an empty space where he was sure that his heart was still beating away. There was regret and frustration at his own shortcomings. And underneath all that, there was a sense of sadness and grief that he adamantly refused to acknowledge. He kept walking.
As he took each slow step, his mind tortured him with memories of her.
"I'm going to be the first and greatest female Hokage!"
"Duck butt!"
His steps were slowing, his feet dragging on the ground. He squeezed her closer to him, her face resting in the crook of his neck.
"Why do I have to be put on a team with him!?"
He told himself it was the exhaustion that had his arms shaking.
"I'll miss you, Teme."
He was so caught up in his memories, he didn't notice the chakra gathering around her until he felt it burn at his skin. With a curse, he staggered to a stop, his eyes shooting down to her. Bright red chakra was bubbling up from her stomach, slowly starting to coat her entire body. Sasuke quickly crouched to the ground to set her down before examining the burns to his arms. He looked back at her body in confusion. If the tailed beast was extracted, the host died. What happened when the host died while the tailed beast was still inside?
Sasuke watched in fascination. He had no explanation for what he was seeing. A part of him considered the idea that the kyuubi was trying to break free. If that were the case, he'd have to grab her body and make a run for it while he could. He didn't have the strength to fight anymore. He watched and waited, but the red chakra just bubbled away harmlessly. He could see steam rising off her body and he slowly moved closer. Anticlimactically, he watched the chakra slowly disappear, as if drawn back inside of her. He was leaning over her now staring at her for any clue of what the hell was happening.
He was about to reach for her again when she suddenly sat up screaming his name. Sasuke hadn't had time to move out of the way and had gotten headbutted by her brick wall of a skull. Sasuke hissed in pain, clutching his head. At the sound of her complaining about the pain in her own head, Sasuke froze. Releasing his head, he stared at her in shock.
She was rubbing her skull, groaning in pain. She blinked a few times before looking around her in confusion. When she saw him, her jaw dropped. "Sasuke! You're covered in blood! What the hell happened to you!?" she asked, her hands clutching his bloody clothes.
She couldn't be serious.
Sasuke watched her examine him, her hands flitting over his clothes and wiping at his cheeks. Eventually she noticed her own clothes and stared down at herself in shock. "How much blood did I lose? Wait. Where's Orochimaru? Did he run off? Sasuke?"
Fisting him hand in the front of her jacket, Sasuke pulled her to him roughly. Judging by the puff of air she exhaled, he could tell that he had pulled her in a bit too hard, but he couldn't find it in him to care. He held her to him, his arms like a vice around her smaller form. From the way he had her pinned, her arms were stuck at her sides and her face was pressed into his shoulder.
"Sasuke?" she asked in a confused and soft voice.
"Dobe," he replied, pouring all of the grief, exasperation, stress, worry and relief that she'd filled him with. His arms tightened around her. She wriggled as much as she could, her arms reaching around to pat him on the back. She didn't say anything for a while, staying still before slowly returning his hug and burying her face in his shirt.
When he'd gotten his fill of close personal contact, he pulled away from her and stood. She seemed frozen on the spot, so he offered her his hand. She gave him a small smile and let him help her to her feet. "What happened while I was out?" she asked as they started walking back.
"Orochimaru is dead," he said.
Her eyes widened. "You killed him?"
He was surprisingly very levelheaded at this recent development. He could feel the embers of his anger simmering. Not fully leaving him but dissipating enough for him to focus on other things. He didn't answer her question and decided to ask one of his own. "How are you alive? I felt your heart stop."
"Yeah. It did stop. But the kyuubi healed me. Turns out that if I die, he goes away too," she said.
It would have been nice to know that before. "Hn," he grunted because he didn't know what else to say. And really what was there to say? She was alive- living, breathing, and heart beating. That's what mattered.
They walked for a while before Sasuke sensed a small group coming towards them. His eyes shot up to the trees and his body tensed, but he relaxed when he recognized the chakra coming their way.
"Sasuke-kun! Naruko!" Sakura shouted as she jumped down from the trees. She started to run towards them but froze at the sight of them. Sasuke watched Kakashi touchdown as well, his eye going wide. Sasuke was about to ask where the old woman was, but Naruko's shout cut him off.
"Gaara!"
Naruko left his side and ran right into the (now living) red haired boy. She embraced him fully, not caring about the state of her clothes. Gaara stood awkwardly in her arms, staring down at her with fond admiration in his eyes.
"How?" she questioned.
"I lent Chiyo-san the chakra she needed for a medical jutsu that restored his life in exchange for hers," Sakura explained with a saddened tone and eyed the body-sized mound of sand that was trailing behind Gaara. Everyone took a moment of silence for the elderly woman. While he was sure that her village would mourn the loss, Sasuke felt only gratitude towards the woman. Her sacrifice meant that Gaara was now living again which meant that Naruko was happy.
"Naruko, Sasuke-kun… What happened to you two? You look like hell," Sakura asked.
Sasuke could feel Kakashi's intense stare and Sasuke met his gaze. "Dead," Sasuke answered Kakashi's unasked question. Kakashi's eye widened in surprise, but Sakura was still giving him confused looks. Not bothering to answer her obvious questions, Sasuke said, "Let's head back. I've had enough of today."
~:~
Sasuke was sure that the next time he returned to Suna would be too soon. Their entire mission had been even more of a clusterfuck than their C-rank to Wave. Kakashi and Sakura had to be brought up to speed on what they'd missed, both of them paling considerably when they'd heard of Naruko's temporary death at Orochimaru's hands. When Kakashi had asked how he'd handled Orochimaru alone, Sasuke had given him a meaningful look and hadn't offered further explanation. It wasn't until they were alone in their room that Sasuke had explained that he'd unlocked a new level in his Sharingan.
The Mangekyo Sharingan, Kakashi had called it. When Sasuke had looked at his eyes in a mirror, he'd marveled at the three, intersecting red ellipses design. When Kakashi had frowned at the sight of him, however, Sasuke had questioned his less than positive response. Kakashi had just told him to speak to Shisui as soon as possible, even before his own father if he could.
So, here he was. Showing off his new eyes for his father, Shisui, and Itachi. His father looked proud yet slightly troubled. Shisui remained impassive. Itachi was the only one who looked to be silently grieving.
"This is a momentous occasion. The Mangekyo Sharingan are said to be heavenly eyes that see the truth of all of creation without obstruction," his father boasted. Sasuke could see the way Itachi tensed and his frown deepened.
Shisui decided to speak up then, "It is initially awakened by the trauma suffered from witnessing the death of someone close to you."
Sasuke frowned as his eyes looked down and away.
"Uchiha have historically misunderstood this to mean needing to be responsible for the person's death. For that reason, many developed the practice of killing their closest friends in order to gain this new power," Itachi said. It didn't matter in the end. He'd blamed himself when she'd died.
"This is a great gift, but not a power to use lightly. Continued use will come at the cost of your eyes. Eventually, they will lose their light," Fugaku warned.
"Basically, you'll go blind," Shisui interpreted. Fugaku shot Shisui a look that the young man smiled off.
"It's not a power you should have to rely on either way," Itachi said, giving Sasuke a long look. Itachi's eyes were carefully blank, but Sasuke could see the small hints of worry that creased the skin around his eyes. He hadn't been strong enough to face Orochimaru without these eyes. Although he did enjoy knowing that he had such a powerful tool in his arsenal, he knew that he couldn't use them except for emergencies.
"I am curious though. Whose death traumatized you so deeply, Sasuke?" Shisui asked. But judging by the grin on his face, Sasuke had a feeling that he already had a guess in mind. Sasuke glared at Shisui and refused to answer. Even his father was staring now, considering him.
Itachi actually sighed. Sasuke looked at his brother, frowning at the sight of Itachi rolling his eyes. "Foolish little brother," Itachi chided. "I told you so."
Sasuke couldn't have stopped the blush that rose up his cheeks if he'd tried.